Polymeric materials and films are widely used for various products and/or applications. Polymeric materials and films have a broad range of properties and can be provided at relatively low costs. For example, polymeric surfaces can be functionalized in order to exhibit desired properties for a specific application. Specifically, a polymeric surface can be altered physically and/or chemically in order to improve its printability, filtration performance, adhesion, wettability, weatherability, permeability, optical properties or incorporate specific functional groups.
Several techniques have been previously developed to create micro-structures on and/or in polymeric materials. In particular, techniques have been previously developed to create porous or structured polymeric materials by the formation of pores or other like structures therein. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,679,538 to Druin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,604 to Lo et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,731 to Kobayashi, and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0026811 to Murphy et al., all incorporated in their entirety herein.
However, many prior developed techniques are generally limited in one way or another. For example, some may only work for making porous structures throughout the entire polymer. Thus, there is a lack of control with regard to the extent of the micro-structure and/or pore formation and/or the connectivity therebetween. Additionally, prior developed techniques may be time consuming, complicated and/or not well suited to conventional commercial production processes (e.g., such as roll-to-roll polymer film production) which one may desire to use.
Micro-embossing, photolithography, etching, and laser drilling are among other methods previously developed to generate textured and micro-structures at or on the surface of polymeric materials. While some of these methods are advantageous due to economical and technological issues, they generally lack the ability to efficiently and/or effectively produce certain branched and/or closed loop structures. Additionally, in general, these methods may not be well suited to the production of internal networks of interconnected pores.
Accordingly, new and/or improved micro-structured and/or composite material(s) and/or method(s) for producing the same which address the above-referenced problem(s) and/or others are needed.